Word
Definitions
01belonging to one person
A2 · Elementary
adj. belonging to or intended for one particular person rather than anyone else.
adj. pertaining to a specific individual; relating to or affecting a single person rather than a group.
“Please keep your personal belongings with you at all times on the train.”
“The CEO insisted on giving the project his personal attention, despite having a capable team of managers to handle the daily operations.”
Synonyms
02private or sensitive
B1 · Intermediate
adj. relating to your private life, feelings, or secrets that you do not want to share with everyone.
adj. concerning an individual's private life, relationships, or emotions; often implies a need for discretion or privacy.
“I don't like to answer personal questions about my family during job interviews.”
“The biographer struggled to balance the subject's professional achievements with the more sensitive personal details revealed in her private journals.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03done in person
B1 · Intermediate
adj. done by you yourself, rather than by someone else for you.
adj. carried out by the individual concerned without the use of an intermediary or representative.
“The famous author made a personal appearance at the local bookstore.”
“The ambassador delivered a personal message from the president, emphasizing the importance of direct diplomatic engagement between the two nations.”
04an offensive remark
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. aimed at a person's character or appearance in an unkind or rude way.
adj. referring to an individual's character or conduct in a way that is intended to be offensive or insulting.
“There is no need to get personal just because we disagree about the movie.”
“The debate turned ugly when one candidate began making personal attacks instead of addressing the policy issues at hand.”
Synonyms
05grammar
B2 · Upper Intermediate Science Technical
adj. relating to the different 'persons' in grammar, like 'I', 'you', or 'he'.
adj. relating to the grammatical category of person, distinguishing between the speaker, the person addressed, and others.
“In English, 'we' is a first-person plural personal pronoun.”
“The linguist noted that certain languages omit personal pronouns when the subject is clearly indicated by the verb ending.”
Usage
Commonly used in the phrase 'personal pronoun'.
Antonyms
06dating advertisements
C1 · Advanced Plural noun Informal
n. short advertisements in a newspaper or online where people look for partners or friends.
n. classified advertisements, typically in the plural, placed by individuals seeking romantic or social connections.
“He decided to look through the personals to see if anyone shared his hobbies.”
“Before the rise of dating apps, the personals section of the local Sunday paper was a primary way for singles to meet.”
Usage
Almost always used in the plural form 'personals'.
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “personal” in context.
Confusables
Personal is an adjective for private matters, while personnel is a noun for a group of employees.
RememberPersonal has one 'n' for one person; personnel has two 'n's for many staff.
Real-World Examples
“Personal AI is designed to connect to your private accounts — including banks, email, and calendar — and autonomously take action on the internet on your behalf.” “Whether it’s lurid, hip-hop-style tribute tees or monogrammed socks, making a personal mark on the things we wear can be a marvellous model for self-expression” “Our metabolism's response to food is highly idiosyncratic and there are hints that tailoring our diet to these personal differences can deliver health benefits” Etymology
From Middle English personal, personele, from Anglo-Norman personel, personal, personell, Old French personal, personel, from Late Latin persōnālis (“of a person, personly”), equivalent to person + -al. Doublet of personnel.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
Idioms
01. personal capital
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A1 · BeginnerOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/personal
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0